Green Reflection
by AdrianAndroid
Summary: When Glinda the Good Witch finds a young orphaned girl with more than a passing resemblance to an old friend, her life may just be changed forever. BookMusicalverse. Possible Gelphie, but that's to be seen.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note/Disclaimer: Obviously, I don't own anything but my own characters. And if you read the book/watched the musical/both, you should know who's mine and who's Gregory Maguire's/L. Frank Baum's. This fanfiction is a sort of mix between musical -and book-verse.

It was dark and stormy, rather unusual for an autumn midday in the Emerald City. Most people were inside their homes, preferring warm solitude to being buffeted about by the winds. Among the few carriages rumbling down the street, one in particular stood out. It was large, that was certain, and ornately decorated with whorls of gold and small emeralds. A treasure box on wheels, it was called. Yet no brigands approached it to pull off the glittering ornaments. For the occupant was far more intimidating. Because, in the small, green-tinted window, you could just barely catch a glimpse of blonde hair and a silver crown.

Glinda hated this kind of weather- it made her hair go frizzy, not to mention, of course, that it was the kind of weather Elphaba would have loved. Not enjoyed, of course, but viewed with a certain cynical satisfaction. But Elphie was gone now, and nothing would change that. It had been almost a decade since the Witch had met her demise at the hands of the Yellow Brick Irregulars. In fact, Glinda was returning from a small chapel on the outskirts of the city. In it was housed a shrine to Saint Aelphaba, where Glinda had burnt a candle and muttered a short prayer for the soul of her friend. The soul that Elphaba always denied having.

The grief was still as sharp as ever, piercing. Every time she saw a black cloak or saw a pointy hat, she thought of Elphaba. Her roomie, her friend, her protector. But all that had changed when Elphie became the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda became her archnemisis, the Good Witch of the North. And all over a stupid pair of shoes. Well, that's what the rest of the world thought. But deep down inside, Glinda held a sort of grudging admiration for her opposite. But things were over, and nothing would ever change that. As the carriage rumbled to a stop at a crossroads, Glinda happened to glance outside.

What she saw chilled her to the bone. Standing at the corner was a girl in a dirty, worn cloak and dress. She carried a book and a bag of groceries. Her face was dirt-stained and filthy- her hair was in worse condition. She glanced up for a second as the blinding brilliance of the gold, white, and emerald stones of the carriage cut through the darkness of even the stormy atmosphere. What made her stand out to Glinda, though, was the girl's skin. Not the texture, but the color. As sure as the sky was blue, the girl on the corner was green.

Glinda signaled to her driver to pull over next to the girl. The other carriage behind them rumbled around them, the driver cursing the idiocy of aristos. The girl didn't even glance up at the carriage, apparently used to being ignored. Glinda waved off the footman who came to help her out of the carriage, and with skill born of years of practice, Glinda gathered her skirts around her and stepped gracefully down into the street, her polished white shoes just barely missing a mud puddle. "Come here, dear. Let me get a good look at you." The girl glanced up and started forward, not uncertain, not nervous, but empathic, with a coldness that chilled Glinda to the bone. The only other person she had known like that- with that cold unyielding outside of stone and the surprisingly delicate inside… well, the times changed, and life did too.

Glinda looked closely at the girl. As sure as Lurlinda made little green apples, that girl was as green as one. Her raven black hair was oily, her face dirtstained. Her cheekbones stood out, as did her chin- was it because of hunger? Or because she had inherited the looks from a parent? Either way, Glinda's mind was made up. "Where do you live, dear?" The girl looked up.

"St. Galinda's Orphanage for Girls, Ma'am." The honorific was delivered with icy calm. Glinda winced. Even the tone of the voice was like Elphaba's.

"Come with me, I'll give you a ride. I'd like to speak to you about- about-" Glinda searched frantically for a reason for the green girl to come with her. "About the conditions at the orphanage. You see, I'm a- donor to the orphanage, and I'd like to stop by. Come inside, it looks like it's about to rain." The girl suddenly snapped her head back, alarmed. The sky was, indeed, getting darker. She nodded civilly to Glinda, then helped the other woman up into the carriage, then following herself. She sat rigidly in the middle of the seat opposite Glinda, unmoving.

Glinda gave the girl another look-over. She certainly deserved a bath- but, what if she was like Elphaba- unable to touch water? Hmm… The girl's glittering black eyes were hardened, windows to what- a soul? Her skin, beneath the grime, was a rich green, not the color of Lurlinemas trees, or the light green of celery- her color was that of the best lettuce there was to buy. Her hair, though oily, was pulled back into a long braid. Her dirty brown frock was obviously worn often, as patches at the shoulders and the extended hem showed. The girl was lanky, bony arms and legs held stiffly to her sides and awkwardly out of Glinda's large skirt. They rode in silence.

The carriage creaked to a stop in front of St. Galinda's Orphanage for Girls. It was certainly dingy, thought Glinda. The outside was crudely whitewashed, and a flea-bitten dog lazily stretched itself, licked a fresh scar on its leg, and yawned, displaying an array of broken teeth.

Glinda eyed it with more than a bit of distaste. She stepped gracefully down from the carriage, this time with the assistance of the footman. The girl followed behind, awkwardly unfolding herself from her uncomfortable position and nearly falling out of the carriage.

She followed Glinda quickly to the doorway and knocked on the door, with the good Witch standing behind her. The footman remained with the carriage, and a voice that was vaguely reminiscent of screeching cats grated at Glinda's ears.

"You're finally back, you useless wretch! I told you to come in the servant's door, you're bad for business! You'd best not have forgott-" the tirade was interrupted when the green girl pushed open the door, and Glinda could be seen. The woman inside, who resembled a, to put it kindly, rat, stopped her screeching and curtsyed clumsily, to the girl's ill-concealed amusement.

"Why- why, Lady Glinda, it's such a surprise and an honor… Well, why don't we stay out here and enjoy the fresh ai-" Glinda interrupted her with a bland smile and airy wave of her hand and pushed her way to the entrance.. The rat-faced woman backed aside, letting Glinda pass, cursing at that green girl for bringing an aristocrat to her place.

"Well, you've caught us unawares, Lady Glinda, forgive us. Come into the parlor, and let's have a cup of tea," the rat-woman said. "Let me introduce myself. I am Madame Titchy, headmistress of this organization to help young orphaned girls. We help them find new homes and loving families." Glinda smiled once more, surreptitiously glancing around her surroundings.

The paint was peeling and yellowed, and a dead cockroach lay in a corner, legs in the air. A dirty cat that was either white or gray sat on a windowsill, and cheap paintings and fake oak furniture filled the parlor. The air was stale, and an unpleasant odor wafted in from the next room, the door to which was behind Madame Titchy. Or perhaps it was the Headmistress herself- Glinda really didn't want to know.

"I'd like to adopt one of your girls, you see, I need a suitable young girl to be my ward… Perhaps you could show me a list of names?" Glinda inquired.

"Well, we don't exactly keep a list, Lady Glinda. I'll call the girls in for you." Madame Titchy rose and went to the door behind her, calling out names. Soon about fifteen girls filed into the room, dirty, unwashed hair tucked underneath caps and bonnets, frayed skirts clutched tightly in their hands.

Glinda pitied the lot of them, standing so bedraggled while their mistress stood before them in badly-styled expensive Gillikin silk. It was quite obvious where the money and donations to the orphanage were going. She looked over all the girls, wishing that she could house and feed all of them, but she searched out the one green face. But the girl wasn't there.

"Madame Titchy, where is the girl who accompanied me here?" The rat-faced woman's brows crinkled.

"She's probably up in some corner somewhere, reading again- all those nonsense books about the origins of good and evil- she'll make some husband a sorry man." Glinda felt her fingers twitch involuntarily in anger at the rude woman, and she smiled a plastic smile.

"May I see her? I'd like to speak with her in person. But first, may I speak with these girls in private?" Madame Titchy's faces spasmed for a moment, then she complied with Glinda's request and backed slowly out the door. Glinda looked at the rows of downcast faces, miserable, pinched with hunger, and dirty. A wave of sadness enveloped her heart.

"Here girls," she said, walking in front of each girl. She pressed a gold coin into each of their hands from her purse. "Don't let Madame Titchy see these, alright?" Glinda smiled, almost sadly- it seemed like an Elphie-ish thing to do. "Now go up to your rooms, like good girls." The girls filed out, smiles just barely concealed, a new bounce to their steps. Just then Madame Titchy entered, followed by the green girl Glinda had met earlier. "Here she is, Lady Glinda. I'll be in the next room if you need me." Madame Titchy made a hasty retreat to the room behind Glinda. The girl sat down in front of Glinda, her eyes downcast.

Glinda looked at her for an unknown length of time, processing her thoughts. Finally the girl looked up.

"Lady Glinda, if I may ask, is there any further need for me to stay?" Glinda was jolted out of her thoughts and jumped visibly.

"My dear-" Glinda stopped. "What is your name?" The green girl looked up, then down.

"I don't have a name." Glinda was shocked, though she did her best to hide it.

"What on earth do you mean?" Glinda asked.

"I don't have a name. I was brought here, and whoever left me here gave me no name." Glinda leaned forward slightly.

"Would you like to leave this place?" The girl was taken aback by the question.

"Why- Lady Glinda, whyever would I want to leave?" Glinda smiled at the girl's verbal tactics.

"Oh, I don't know… But- would you find it pleasing to come and live with me, at my house?" Glinda kept a cautiously diplomatic smile on her lips.

"You wish to adopt me, Lady? I seem far too… drab, for the likes of the aristocracy…" Her voice was laced with bitterness, anger, a touch of sarcasm, and, underneath it all, a whisper of sadness. Glinda smiled gently.

"Don't worry- I know what you're thinking. I won't drag you to balls and parties- in fact, you're free to roam the extensive library that Lord Chuffery and I have collected. I'm sure you're quite bright that way." Glinda smiled.

"It's really not up to me, Lady Glinda. But it would be wonderful to have something new to read…" Glinda smiled at the sudden wistfulness in the girl's eyes.

"Of course. Why don't you go upstairs, pack your things, and say your goodbyes- I'll discuss the rest of the matter with Madame Titchy." Glinda smiled as the girl strode to the steps and away into the darkness of the floor above. Madame Titchy reentered, and Glinda turned to her.

"I'd like to adopt the girl… she has no name. Do you have paperwork to fill out?" Madame Titchy nodded and scuttled away to get the paperwork. Glinda sat in silence for a while, sipping her tea and thinking. What was she going to call the girl? There was only one possible name that sprang up again and again, but…

"Here it is, Lady Glinda," said Madame Titchy as she entered the room. "Sign your name here on the line, and here, and I'll sign my name here, and the girl's name goes here. You can fill it in whenever you wish…" Madame Titchy gestured, signed her name with a sloppy flourish, and sat down. Glinda looked over the papers, signing where needed, smiling plasticly even though she felt repulsed by the woman beside her, who sat sipping expensive coffee while the girls in her care starved. Another idea suddenly struck her.

"Madame Titchy, as a donor to your fine organization, I've noticed that you take good care of your girls, enforcing discipline where needed- girls this age can be rowdy and unpredictable. I respect how you keep them all disciplined and off the streets." Madame Titchy raised one eyebrow in question.

"I'm flattered, Lady Glinda, really," she replied.

"Well, you see, I know that the girls are getting all of your attention, but…" Glinda trailed off.

"Yes, Lady?" inquired Madame Titchy.

"Well, you know- the owner of this fine institution should be rewarded for her work." Glinda smiled conspiratorially at the other woman, while all the time feeling sick to her stomach. "And I know the strains of leading such a large group of girls take their tolls. So, perhaps, you'd accept a few gifts from me?" Madame Titchy picked up the ill-concealed hint.

"Oh Lady Glinda, I couldn't possibly accept, but as an owner of such an extensive institution, I find it necessary, if not just for myself, but for the sake of our reputation as an orphanage." The headmistress gave an oily smile.

"Well, I'd like to make a substantial gift to the orphanage… and, well," Glinda mock-hesitated. Madame Titchy sat forward a little.

"Yes, Lady Glinda?" Glinda smiled to herself.

"Well, I'd like to provide you with enough so that you may live comfortably… And even, perhaps, retire comfortably- I know that it's difficult to raise such a large number of girls as well as you have. I'd be happy to provide a competent assistant who can take your place. She would have to be hard to find, though, and hard-pressed to keep up with your standards." Glinda stopped, just a little worried that she was laying on the compliments too thickly. Madame Titchy was having none of it, though. She smiled and nodded.

"That would be so incredibly kind of you, Lady Glinda." Glinda smiled triumphantly and clinked her cup down onto her tea saucer.

"Well, that's that. I'll arrange everything later. I'd like to finish up with the paperwork now. I need to talk to the girl, to get her opinion. Just give me a moment."

Glinda climbed up the stairs to the upper floor. A rat skittered out of her way, and she gave a soft yelp, composed herself, and continued up the stairs. The dormitory beds were arranged in two rows along either wall of the hallway-like room. The girls stood up from their spots when Glinda entered.

"Don't be ridiculous, dears. Go ahead, I won't bother anyone." Glinda scanned the room; the girl wasn't in there. She spotted another staircase at the end of the room, just beside the washroom door. She glided across the dusty, dirty floor and started to climb. Her skirts were giving her a hell of a time, however. Glinda mumbled a mild expletive and continued up, soon finding herself in an attic of sorts, stocked with dusty books and broken furniture. A bed of sorts was located in a corner, and Glinda saw the girl sitting down on it, clicking shut a hideously old-fashioned suitcase. She seemed sad, almost. Glinda cleared her throat and knocked on the doorframe. The girl snapped her head up, startled at the sudden noise.

"It's just me. I'd like to speak with you, if you will, dear." The girl nodded and smoothed out the threadbare covers on her cot, scooting over to provide Glinda a place to sit. Glinda lowered herself down, folding her hands regally on her lap.

"What is it you'd like to speak about, Lady Glinda?" Glinda fidgeted, just a bit. The girl's dark brown eyes glittered, almost seeming to cut through her.

"First, please stop calling me 'Lady' Glinda. Just call me Glinda. Second, I'd like to talk about your name." The girl nodded.

"You've chosen me to adopt, Lad- Glinda. You have every right to choose my name and my future." The girl's voice was cold and flat. Her eyes flashed suddenly, and she whispered, almost to herself,

"It's not like I've ever had a chance to choose for myself before." Glinda slowly nodded to herself.

"There was once someone very… dear to me. You greatly remind me of her. Her name was… Elphaba." Glinda whispered the last word, remembering the taste of that long-forgotten name, remembering the person before who possessed it. The girl nodded.

"Elphaba. I like it. Call me that, please." Glinda suddenly sensed the girl's well-concealed vulnerability. She armored herself with her cynicism, sarcasm, and wit, but deep inside, she was… just like Elphaba. Glinda rose, determined.

"That shall be that. Come down with me, if you are ready." Glinda swept out of the room and down the stairs. She heard the girl get up and follow her, never once looking back. There in the parlor waited Madame Titchy, with the last of the papers to sign.

"Lady Glinda, please place the girl's name here, and sign here. She shall sign here, below you." Glinda took up the pen, and with a flourish, signed her name. She wrote the girl's full name on the line. Then she handed the pen to the girl. The girl- Elphaba- took it up and dipped it in the ink, then hesitated for just a moment as she looked down at the document that was sealing her life permanently to the aristocratic woman beside her. She scribbled out her name, and Madame Titchy signed the last line.

Glinda climbed gracefully into the carriage.

"Elphaba dear, come in, the rain's about to start." Elphaba nodded, then looked back at the drab building that had been her home for her entire life.

She felt almost sad about leaving. But life would be better almost anywhere, as long as Madame Titchy wasn't there. She hurried down to the carriage, handing her baggage to the footman and clambering awkwardly beside Glinda. As the old orphanage rumbled out of view, the girl smiled, just a touch cynically, and whispered to herself,

"Elphaba Thropp II… Elphaba… I like it."


	2. Chapter 2

Glinda led Elphaba to her rooms. The young girl had been thoughtfully silent the entire road to Glinda's estates. As they were pulling in, however, Elphaba looked up at Glinda and asked,

"Lady Glinda, why didn't you use your bubble?" Glinda was amusedly confused, wondering why on earth the girl would ask such a random question.

"Well, I suppose it's nice not having to float around all the time. It tames my pride." Elphaba nodded. "Elphaba, is it alright- is it alright if I called you Fabala?" Elphaba shrugged.

"I don't mind." With that, Glinda descended from the carriage and was followed by Elphaba.

"These are your rooms- set your things down here, and Troika, my housekeeper, will take care of the rest. Are you up for a short tour of the house, dear?" Elphaba nodded. It was going to be her house for however long the pink-clad aristocrat chose to keep her.

"This is our dining hall, used mainly on special occasions, but we usually sup here, outside on the terrace." The dining hall was beautiful, a myriad of dark woods and bright sunshine glistening off gilded gold decorations and tapestries on the wall. The parlor, just a few steps down the hall, was airy and bright, windows somehow opening somewhere other than uptown Emerald City. It was beautiful, with a flowery border on the walls and beautiful flowers on the windowsills and table. The wicker chairs were padded with big comfy cushions. A window seat was tucked away in the last window.

As they left the front parlor, Glinda watched the girl study her surroundings intently. She filed the fact away as another puzzle piece to add to the pile of jumbled pieces that was Elphaba Thropp II. Meanwhile, Fabala was examining Glinda's décor. _It's certainly very fashionable…_ she thought to herself.

The house was located near the Lakes, a comfortable, popular living area for the well-off. There was plenty of room compared to the city, the house having a small aviary, greenhouse, and walking garden. Beyond the garden was as-yet-undeveloped forest. The house faced Azure Lake, a smaller lake just a little farther from the Emerald City than the others. The estate was huge. There were two large wings to the house, and Fabala noticed that she had gone just half-way through the north wing. Her rooms, she supposed, were near the dining room.

"Come, lets' stop by your room. You have a wonderful view of the forest from there." Glinda had a hunch that the sight of Azure Lake might unsettle the girl who had a completely understandable aversion to water. They walked down the long hallway, past several guest bedrooms and a small parlor. The building was somewhat dim from the storm outside, but Glinda lit tiny mage-light spheres as they ventured through the hallways.

Fabala's room was at the very end, at the top of a long staircase, higher than most of the house. It was large and circular, slightly dusty, with shelves that lined every wall. A pretty but not overdone writing desk stood in a corner, its faded gilded claws just missing scratching the wood floor. A four-poster bed was situated near a window. It was almost like a glorified version of her old room back in the orphanage.

A high window situated just near the start of where the roof began to begin it's conical ascent opened up with a little pushing, and Fabala stuck her head out and leaned on the sill, staring out over the grounds. She looked up to see that the top of the ceiling, the very point of the conical roof, wasn't made of wood at all- instead, triangles of glass about four feet long seamlessly connected with the shingles and formed a sunroof of sorts. Glinda smiled at Fabala, who was sitting on the bed, staring upwards. The rain obscured most vision outside the windows, however.

"If you want to darken the panels, all you have to do is turn this knob until you like it. Go the opposite direction to let in more light. Shall we go? There is one more thing I'd like to show you before you rest before supper." Glinda led the way to the other side of the four poster bead. Behind a draping wall hanging was a door. Pushing the drapery to one side, Glinda opened the door. It led to a small attic room, similar to the main bedroom, but the upper windows were cloudy glass. There were shelves of oils and potions, and to one side there was a tub. Glinda motioned to the tub.

"I'm afraid this will sound like an odd question, but do you have any… allergies I should be aware of?" The girl fidgeted a bit, then stared at the floortiles.

"I seem to react… badly to water. It's probably the only thing I am allergic to, however. I bathed with oils and powders when I could get a hold of them. But that wasn't very often." The girl looked down at her dingy clothes and flushed a darker green, her eyebrows knitting. Glinda nodded.

"Well, you'll find everything you need in here. The hair products are on this shelf-" she said with a motioning gesture, "and the rest of the things are scattered amongst the shelves. I'm afraid that I'll have to have the maid come up and arrange all this." Fabala nodded. Glinda led the way from the small bathing room. In the main bedroom was a set of drawers. Opening them, Glinda pulled out a plain dark blue frock and clean underclothes.

"I didn't think I heard your preference for clothing, I'm afraid that this is all the housekeeper could come up with on short notice. I've got a pair of black boots here; I think they may be a tad big for you, but we'll find clothes to fit later. Just put your clothes to be washed here and we'll send them down. Or- can we just put them away for now?" Fabala nodded and Glinda continued. "I'll send a maid when supper is almost ready." Fabala took the clothes with a cursory nod, flushing a dark green, then retreated into the bathroom. Glinda smiled and left to see about arrangements for Fabala's learning.

The young green girl stared at herself in the mirror. After experimenting with what seemed like dozens of different kinds of oils and powders, Fabala felt more clean then she had ever felt in her life. Her black hair was now rebraided, shiny and clean after a thorough cleaning with a special potion that Glinda had that would dry quickly but not make her hair oily. She stepped into her new blue frock. It was a good shade against her skin, and was not ostentatious or horribly frilly. Fabala padded into her bedroom and gingerly sat down on the edge of her bed, feeling as if everything was going too fast for her.

The room she was in was slightly dusty, with one window propped open to let air circulate. Fabala leaned back onto the bed, then looked back at the strange white sheets and stood to sit on the desk chair. Everything was too new and uncomfortable now. _Why is everything so… prepared? It isn't as if people with water allergies arrive at Lady Glinda's doorstep everyday, why is this room so specially set up? Perhaps a vision of my arrival? _When the maid tapped lightly on the door Fabala was still deep in thought. She shrugged off her more serious lines of thought and followed the maid dutifully to the dining area.

After leaving the girl in her room, Glinda disappeared to her rooms to sort things out. After slipping out of her walking gown, she changed into a more sedate long-sleeved dress made of dark green silk. She stepped into her study and closed the door behind her.

She seated herself behind the desk in the middle of the room. The walls that were outward facing were filled by wide panes of glass. Outside, rain splattered against the ground steadily. It pounded into the dirt outside, as if determined to open some secret door to the very core of the earth. Lightning cracked outside, and the storm seemed to worsen after a while. Opposite the windows was a wall of bookshelves. Each of the mahogany shelves contained row upon row of leatherbound law and sorcery books. The study's décor reflected the serious and studious Glinda the Good that many Ozians did not see.

Glinda quickly jotted out instructions for her housekeeper regarding Fabala's stay, and wrote a letter to her good friend Boq.

_Dear Boq,_

_I know that we haven't spoken in a while, and I'm very sorry for that. After Elphie's death at the hands of the Yellow Brick Irregulars, I have felt the need to mourn for my- our friend. I apologize, Boq. It's funny, how we two seem to be the last ones of our group left. Pfannee and Shenshen are both married off now, and Avaric is on his fourth wife. Crope and Tibbett… whatever happened to them? I hadn't heard from them since after the incident in Shiz so long ago. That was such a wonderful time, even in its strangeness and sadness—and life isn't the same now. But Boq, dear Boq, you were the best one of us all, even Elphie would agree on that. And that's why I'm writing this letter. _

_I heard that you've come into possession of a farm outside of the EC. On a recent excursion to the city, I stumbled upon an orphanage for girls. I entered, and was quite appalled at the living conditions of the girls. I wondered if you knew someone in the area who would consent to perhaps selling their farm, or renting it out for several months. I would like to send the girls on a country retreat while I find a suitable replacement Headmistress for the girls. _

_Madame Titchy, the current Headmistress, is, I feel, incompetent to the task of raising these girls. Imagine, a person like Madame Morrible, but not even half as clever or devious. On second thought, this woman is nothing like Madame Morrible. She is a greedy, shallow person, and I am glad to not have to associate with her anymore. While I order repairs done on the orphanage, I'd like the girls to be on holiday. Perhaps, if you knew anyone with a large-acreage farm, we could become partners in this sort of endeavor. _

_I want to help these girls, Boq. Not out of some desire for myself, but I feel that this is what Elphaba would have wanted. Well, maybe not explicitly. But she wanted to make Oz a better place, and what better place to start then our next generation? Please, Boq, I would appreciate if you would look into farm purchases on my behalf; I would be unendingly grateful._

_My humble thanks,_

_Lady Glinda of the Arduennas of the Upland, Good Witch of the North, Lady Wife of Lord Chuffery of the Emerald City, in the great service of the Ozian state._

_PS.- To you, Boq, I'll always be Galinda. _

With a sigh, Glinda sealed the envelope and sent it with a servant to be sent as soon as the weather cleared up. She pulled a scrapbook from a drawer in her desk and held it for a moment. Its leatherbound covers were plain, without embellishment. The only thing that made it stand out was the lock that secured both covers together. Glinda raised the book to her lips and pressed her lips against it. The lock, like so many things, willingly responded to that light touch. It opened when it recognized her magic, and Glinda pulled it out and set it on the desk. She opened the covers.

Inside was a collection of newspaper and announcement clippings from those few fateful years. On the first page was the flyer from her Shiz days- the flyer displaying the poetry soiree that was the beginning of it all, with Madame Morrible's bigoted Quells. Then there was a clipping from the Shiz U newspaper reporting about Dr. Nikidik's mistreatment of Animals/animals. Directly beneath were clippings of the obituaries where Doctor Dillamond and Ama Clutch were listed. Further on were clippings from various papers about the Wizard's reign and his advances on mining in Quadling country and his progress on diplomatic talks with the Winkie royalty. Then one page of the scrapbook was filled with the front page of The Emerald City Chronicle__ The headline screamed out,

WICKED WITCH TERRORIZES OUR WONDERFUL WIZARD

_Shizian Headmistress Witness to Crime_

There was a blurred image of Elphaba zooming out of a Palace window haphazardly, her long black cape trailing behind her. The only thing that Glinda could give her after so many years of friendship- a single cape and a black hat to keep her warm.

Thus followed several newspaper clippings, many of them about Elphaba's "evil" doings around Oz. One of the smaller clippings was a story entitled "Prominent Shiz Headmistress Found Dead in her Bed; Authorities Unsure of a Murder." Glinda pushed the covers shut and replaced the lock. She pulled at the red silk bellpull near her desk. The housekeeper appeared. Glinda smiled at her tiredly.

"Troika, would you mind terribly if you could send someone for Fabala? I think we need to have a quiet dinner. Nothing ostentatious, please. We'll have leftovers. Do you know if Lord Chuffery sent any news about when he will return from his business trip?" The older woman looked at Glinda reprovingly.

"Lady Glinda, you must not tire yourself. Cook has made a very homey dinner for yourself and the young lady, don't you go worrying. Lord Chuffery simply sent message that he would be back in a week. Don't worry Lady Glinda, we know that he'll come home safe and sound after his hunting trip in the Vinkus." Glinda nodded.

"Thank you, Troika. I think I'll make my way down to the informal dining parlor. I'd like a few moments before I meet with Fabala, please." Troika nodded sympathetically and retreated to find a maid to get young Fabala. Glinda pushed her chair away from her desk and stood. She got to her feet tiredly, feeling the weight of her responsibility. To her left hung a somewhat ornate gold framed mirror. Glancing in it, she could see where Time had left its lasting mark. Despite the many face creams and potions she drank for her health, tiny lines spiderwebbed out from the corners of her eyes. Her round cheeks were somewhat wan with exhaustion and stress. She stooped, looking older than her thirty-something years.

On her desk was a picture from her wedding to Lord Chuffery. His ruddy face was noticeably older looking than Glinda's, and his tuxedo, however well cut, couldn't hide the bulge of his pot belly. Of course, Glinda looked spectacular in her white pearl-accented wedding gown, her makeup perfect and her hair cascading in blonde curls down to the middle of her back. But her smile, like her makeup, was just for show, no matter how supposedly "momentous" that day had been. Because she hadn't really wanted to marry Chuffery. But that door was closed now. With a quiet sigh, Glinda made her way from the study, trying to leave the memories and feelings behind.

A/N: Oops, I'm sorry, readers. When I say Gelphie, I meant a possible Glinda/Elphaba Thropp I pairing. I just couldn't make a good Glinda/Elphaba II pairing. That's just… yeah… no thanks. That isn't my thing. . 


	3. Chapter 3

Fabala stood awkwardly at her chair, not sure if she was supposed to sit down or stay standing. Lady Glinda hadn't arrived yet, so she had no idea what to do with herself. The maid had disappeared into the hallway behind her, and the firelight from the hearth flickered off of the elaborate Quoxwood paneled walls. On each wall hung various oil-on-canvas paintings of landscapes and dignified looking portraits. The ornate lamps on the walls were muted, the amber light giving the dining room a warm quality. The long table before her was able to seat six, a person at the foot and head of the table with two on each side.

Two place settings were laid out, with rather simple china plates and plainly decorated silverware. A bottle of wine sat on the table in a bucket of ice, and a large bowl of decorative fruit sat between the head and foot of the table, where the two place settings were. The green girl startled when the door creaked to admit Lady Glinda.

"Oh, my dear, I'm sorry. I should have knocked." Glinda, looking less ostentatious than before in her practical dress, was contrite. Fabala gave a wry smile.

"It's alright. I would have simply startled earlier, and possibly knocked over something in the process." Glinda smiled, almost hesitantly, and motioned for Fabala to take a seat in the chair at the foot of the table. Walking to the other side, Glinda took her own seat at the head.

"The rain has not let up, I'm afraid." Pausing in thought, Glinda added, "My dear girl, I'm afraid that this may sound odd, but how old are you, exactly? In all of the bustle today, I believe I missed it."

"I've been recorded as being thirteen years old, Lady Glinda." Glinda smiled benevolently.

"Ah, to be thirteen again. I do remember those days." Fabala nodded, unsure of what to say. A tense silence filled the room, only to be broken by the creaking of the door as the maid brought in the first dish- a rather plain vegetable stew. As the dishes were being set, Fabala placed her hands together, palm to palm. Glinda looked impassively at her soup.

Fabala murmured a short prayer, then looked hesitantly at the daunting array of silverware that stretched out to either side of the plate. The smell of the stew wafted up on the mist of steam from the bowl. Identifying the soup spoon by its wider design, she dipped it into the stew and blew on its contents softly. After it seemed sufficiently cooled, Fabala brought the spoon to her lips. The warm stew raced with a welcoming stream of heat into her belly, the first thing she really felt that entire day. With that realization, Elphaba II started in on her soup with more gusto, but still neatly. Glinda smiled as she watched the younger girl eat. After finishing off her stew, the younger girl looked up from her dish.

"Lady Glinda, I have never had anything so good before…" her voice trailed off. Then after a moment of clinking her spoon around in the bowl, she looked up and locked her gaze with Glinda's own. "Why did you choose me, Lady Glinda? Of all the girls, why did you choose me?" Glinda gazed at the flickers of firelight on the wall opposite Fabala, almost entranced by their dancing patterns. For a long while she was silent. The maid brought in the second course, chicken and rice with a white cream sauce and peas. They ate that portion of the meal in silence, as Glinda mulled over what Fabala had said. Dessert came and went, and soon they were sitting in front of empty dishes of chocolate whip. Glinda finally spoke.

"When I was younger- a few years older than you, I was in college. Now, I had a very dear friend who I didn't always get along with, and didn't always listen to, but a dear friend all the less. This friend, she taught me many valuable lessons in life. And one of them was to always care for others. Don't scoff, hear me out. For a long time, I was always percieved to be a fabulously airheaded Good Witch, the poster child for all things that were good in Oz. But I was really only lying to myself, and to everyone else around me. I didn't care for them. I cared for myself. I shut out everything and everyone, and floated around in a bubble of false security.

My life changed on one night. My friend, she disappeared. And in the uproar following, I thought I would lose myself- she was like another part of me. She touched me, here-" Glinda laid one hand over her heart. "And I couldn't forget her, or her legacy. So I've been trying to make it up to her. She always tried to help me, to make me think, to make me see the blindness I grew up in. I didn't see until her disappearance. I didn't see until I took off the green-tinted glasses. And so, I try to make the world better. But I'm not immortal. One day I will die, like my friends, and my family. I will die, and my teachings would all be for naught.

Except for you, Fabala. I know you have a bright mind. And I feel that you have the capacity to be… wonderful. I'd like to show you my world, and perhaps you could follow in my footsteps, if that is your wish. But I don't want a copy of me. I want to show you what I learned. And in your lifetime, you will be faced with all sorts of terrifying truths about this world. But if I could just show you one or two pieces of wisdom I have been taught and I have learned, perhaps you will bear the blows of reality more easily. And maybe, just maybe, you'll pass the teaching on. So that in every generation there will be Goodness.

I know that Goodness has been mistaken, look at my life. I'm not the Good Witch. She was. She was, in all of her crotchety, sarcastic, blistering existence. She was. For whatever selfish reasons she had, she strove for that peace that we're all lacking. She said she never had a soul, but no. She did. She had the best and most wonderful, most complex soul of us all! She saved my life- why didn't we save hers?" Glinda had gradually become more choked up as she went on speaking. At that, she began to cry, her shoulders shaking. Fabala stood awkwardly, unexplainably touched by what the blonde woman had said. Walking over to Glinda's chair, she put one lanky arm around her new guardian. Glinda gladly leaned into the embrace and cried brokenly for everything she had lost.

After a few moments, she pulled herself together. She smiled gratefully at Fabala and patted the girl's arm as the green girl stood to her side. "And here I am, trying to fill the shadow of her cape and hat, and I'm not fitting at all. But you will, Fabala. You will. Thank you, my dear. It's too late for this sort of talk. Let me put it this way. I will always care for you Fabala. If you can't call me your mother, you can call me your friend. And this friend knows that it's getting late. Emilia, Troika's niece and your maid, will lead you to your rooms." As if on cue, there was a quiet rap on the door, and it creaked open to admit Emilia. Fabala whispered a thank you and left, silently following the maid. Glinda turned her chair so it would face the fire. For a long while she sat and stared into its smoldering depths.

The next day dawned bright and clear. The sun rose from its forested depths and shone its morning rays through Fabala's roof windows. Stretching and yawning, the gangly young girl curled into a ball under her sheets, clutching the material around her to retain the warmth. She pushed herself deeper into her sheet cocoon, until only the crown of her head was visible. As she adjusted to the warmth of her position, she fell back into sleep.

Glinda's bedroom windows were filled with the light of the dawn over the forest. She was already wide awake and dressing in a walking dress for her morning stroll before she got down to witchy business. Her dress was sensibly cut to avoid constant splashing around in the mud, and was made of a warm material that was a cotton/wool blend. The blue of the dress matched the blue of Glinda's eyes, a sky blue. Pulling a shawl over shoulders, Glinda set out to take a walk out in her gardens.

The morning's chill held the faint scent of wet earth. The rain had continued into the night after dinner, stopping only a few hours before dawn. Glinda knew this only because she had slept fitfully all night. Glinda wove her way through the house to the kitchens, where she greeted the servants warmly and accepted a warm sausage roll from Cook. She stepped out of the kitchen door to the small kitchen garden. The earthy scents were mixed in with that of baking bread, herbs, and the faint odor coming from the compost heap near the wall. Trees of various fruit-bearing types grew along the walls of the kitchen garden, providing seasonal color. There were designated areas for potatoes, cabbages, beans, tomatoes, squash, and other vegetables.

Glinda slowed her pace as she was struck by a flashback.

"_Come with me to the vegetable garden, Galinda." The green girl sat on her bed, having put her book down. Galinda, brushing her hair, was startled at Elphaba's abrupt statement._

"_I say, Miss Elphaba," she started, stressing the Miss, "Whyever should we go down to the vegetable garden at this hour? It's late, and I've got a Sorcery quiz tomorrow, not to mention a lunch picnic with Pfannee and Shenshen." The older green girl stood. _

"_Oh come Galinda, where's your sense of adventure? Who knows, perhaps there are falling tree nymphs in the garden to-nite. Or are you afraid?" The girl's sarcastic amusement was evident. Glinda put her brush down, starting to get riled up._

"_Miss Elphaba, just because we are roomies does not give you license to tease me so!" Elphaba crowed. _

"_So now you acknowledge my existence-" The incensed blonde cut off her roommate. _

"_This is not about you, Miss Elphaba, this is about-" Elphaba approached the younger girl._

"_You? Everything is completely about you.Everything you do, everything I do. I ask for a simple stroll down to the vegetable garden at a pleasant hour. Of course, there you may bask in the light of the moon. And perhaps you shall shimmer amongst the stars. The very heavens will sing your glory. This is the perfect preening opportunity, Galinda. And you push me away. Loudly. Horrible Morrible is apt to come down and find out what we're arguing about this time." Galinda lowered her voice, but kept her tone an intent whisper. _

"_What are you talking about? It is most certainly not a pleasant hour, and I do not appreciate that tone. Why do you want me to go down to the vegetable garden?" Elphaba leaned down to confront the blonde eye to eye. _

"_I am trying to be a good person. Now, for once in your life will you just do as I ask? Do something for others, instead of forever doing things for yourself?" Galinda was appalled. Of course she did things for others! For instance, just the other day she had bought a dress out of Rionno's dress store before another lady could buy it. Of course, this was for that other lady's good- the woman looked horrible in pale yellow. Galinda was only saving her the humiliation she would suffer at the hands of that dress. _

"_Miss Elphaba, I am angered at the very thought that I do not do things for others. Fine. I shall come down to the garden with you, only to settle your obviously maddened mind. Never let it be said that Galinda does not do kind things, even when others are being beastly." Elphaba cracked a sarcastic smile and swept open the door to their dorm room with a flourish. _

"_After you, Lady Galinda." The smaller girl flounced past in a huff._

That was her first meeting with Boq, the Munchkin who was decidedly lovestruck with her. He was a cute little thing, but Glinda didn't feel anything but a passing amusement and some apprehension at being caught with a boy and Elphaba in a vegetable garden. After sending the poor boy on his way, Glinda had confronted Elphaba as they retreated to their room.

"_Miss Elphaba, the very nerve- bringing me to a meeting with a boy, in a the kitchen vegetable garden!" Elphaba looked back at her, her face almost disturbingly blank._

"_Well, do you like him?" Galinda was surprised._

"_Hardly in the romantic sense- Goodness! He's a Munchkin, for the Wizard's sake!" Elphaba looked at her, a shrewd glint in her eye. _

"_I'm a Munchkin as well, you know." Galinda flapped a hand at her roomie. _

"_But you're not a boy, and you're not lovestruck. That makes you alright." Elphaba smiled her crooked smile, the one that gave Galinda no insight to what she was feeling. _

"_Ha. So the great Galinda of the Uplands and Arduennas is racist and sexist. The tabloids should hear about this." Looking closer into her eyes, Galinda could detect a hint of humor. Feigning an appalled look, she began to chase Elphaba down the hall._

"_Take that back, Miss Thropp Third Descending! Perhaps the tabloids ought to know what a horrible mean green girl you are, leading a poor Gillikin girl to a meeting with a strange lovestruck boy in a garden!" Elphaba laughed, her laugh slightly softer than her cackle. _

"_Then perhaps I should tell them how un-mean I am." They had reached their doorway. Elphaba had begun to unlock the door, when Galinda wrapped her arms around her waist from behind. _

"_Who would they believe- me, or you?" Elphaba suddenly went rigid- from Galinda's touch or the statement, neither of them knew, fumbling and almost dropping her key. She managed to open the door, pushing through into their bedroom. Disentangling herself from Galinda, she marched over to the wardrobe to pull out a nightgown. Dressing quickly and efficiently, she turned to face Galinda. _

"_Well, I'm sorry for keeping you up late, Miss Galinda. Pleasant dreams." With that, she climbed into her own bed and rolled over to face the wall. Galinda stood in the middle of the room, clad still in her walking gown and gloves, wondering what had just happened. In a somewhat confused whisper she replied, _

"_Pleasant dreams to you too, Elphaba." _

The morning after the "garden incident,"as Glinda recalled it, was calm, and neither she nor Elphaba had said anything about it. That was the very first occurrence that Glinda could recall Elphaba actually considering her welfare. Overall, it had been an alien idea in the past, but not so much now. They were different people back then, different yet innocent.

Glinda was taken out of her reminiscing mood as she stepped into a somewhat large puddle beside the walking path. Having been absorbed in her thoughts, Glinda hadn't thought to look where she was going. Making a face at her own folly, the blonde woman returned her attention to the path before her. As she studied the cobblestone path before her, trying to clear her mind and open herself to her surroundings, she suddenly felt as if she were being watched.

Straightening up and turning around in a circle quickly to scan her surroundings, she drew her wand. However, the area was clear of anything other than Glinda. She returned her wand to its holder at her side, then continued walking with a sigh. _You're getting old, Glinda,_ she thought to herself. As she stared at the cobblestones before her, she saw a glimpse of shadow flit across the path just inside her peripheral vision. She looked up, only to see the wind blowing around the rattling dead leaves from an ash tree. A single leaf chattered across the pathway. Glinda shook her head at her jumpiness and continued the rest of the walk without incident. Entering into the house via the kitchen's garden gate, she stepped into the warmth of the kitchen. She hung her shawl on a rack near the kitchen doorway and took a seat at the long wooden table that was situated in the kitchen.

The table was used primarily for cutting vegetables and fruits- the meats were cut on a large slab of polished granite, for sanitation's sake- and as the place where the house servants dined. Glinda had put up standing orders for the servants to enjoy their breakfast whenever they wished, so that the kitchens weren't as busy in the mornings. A large platter of fruits and a few rolls of gently steaming bread sat on the long table. Glinda snagged a wooden plate from a stack of clean ones and sat down to eat a roll with butter, as well as an egg, two slices of ham, and a helping of fried potatoes. A young servant girl brought over a pitcher of milk, with water beading at its sides from the coolness of the liquid within. Glinda gratefully accepted a cup from a passing servant and dug into her food with gusto.

Servants were dining at the table as well, eating the same food Glinda had been served. Most of the household staff liked Glinda better than her uptight husband, Lord Chuffery. She relaxed many of the house rules when her husband was gone. A young stable hand came in, washing his hands quickly at a sink. He bowed to Glinda, then took a seat at the table to start in on a platter of fried potatoes and sausages. Glinda turned to the young man. His boyish features revealed that he was about fourteen or fifteen years old.

"Yoran, how were Evaniel and Ricarm? Yesterday's ride was longer than usual, and I hope that they weren't strained." Evaniel and Ricarm were Glinda's carriage horses, and though they were old, Glinda loved the matched white stallions. Yoran, the stable hand, shook his head vehemently, swallowing his food.

"Oh no, Lady Glinda. They settled down nicely last night after a good rubdown and some warm oats. The rain was very loud, wasn't it?" Most aristocrats wouldn't allow a stable hand to address them in such a fashion, but once again, Glinda was very different.

"Very. Did you get enough sleep, Yoran? I know I had difficulty doing so. And I heard lighting and thunder all night." He nodded, pleased that Glinda was concerned with his welfare.

"Oh, I did get a good rest. I say, Lady Glinda, if I may ask…" he trailed off, stirring his fried potatoes around with his fork.

"Go on, ask. I won't mind." He looked up at her inquisitively.

"Who was the girl with you yesterday?" Glinda sipped at her milk.

"She's my ward, if you will. Her name is Elphaba. If she wakens, maybe she'll be down for breakfast soon. But she did have a very busy day yesterday. The night was stormy as well. If I were her, I'd be sleeping in too." Yoran nodded.

"She looked a bit nervous, or maybe frightened." Glinda nodded.

"She was, a bit. She is new here, after all. Don't you remember what it was like when you first came here, just a year ago? You came to apprentice with your uncle." Yoran smiled, revealing surprisingly straight white teeth.

"Yes, I did. It was pretty scary to me. Do you remember, in my first week, the mare Tyara birthed? It was certainly very hectic in the stables." Glinda smiled with fond remembrance, and she and Yoran began to reminisce about their horse stories.


End file.
